Sintered magnetizable body from metal carbonyls and halides



United States aten t 4 cc Patented May 16, 1961 V I 2,983,997 SINTERED MAGNETIZABLE BODY FROM METAL CARBONYLS AND HALIDES Arnold Schmeckenbecher, Elkins Park, Pa., assignor ito General Aniline & Film Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation .of Delaware No Drawing. Original application Dec. 17, 1956, Ser. No. 628.542. Divided and this application Feb. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 7,771

6 Claims. (Cl. 29182.5)

The present invention relates to a new class of sintered magnetizable body having a porosity of 90-93%.

It is known that in the preparation of nickel or iron powders by thermal decomposition of metal carbonyl vapors, the ratio between the number of nuclei of the metal formed in unit time and the supply of metal to the nuclei for building up the powder particles may be varied. The number of nuclei formed can be increased by creasing the rate of heat transfer to the carbonyl vapors or by increasing the rate of carbonyl vapor passed into the decomposition zone. It is also possible to pass preformed nuclei into the decomposition zone together with the carbonyl vapors. The supply of metal to the nuclei can be decreased by diluting the carbonyl vapors with.

inert gases.

It has been proposed that non-volatile solid nuclei for the decomposition of iron or nickel carbonyl be formed by the instantaneous reaction of a very small amount of a halogen such as chlorine, bromine or iodine, with the metal carbonyl flowing to the hot free space of the decomposer or within it. In order to obtain a uniform distribution of pro-formed nuclei in the decomposition space, it is essential that the nuclei be formed and added to the carbonyl vapors before the carbonyl vapors are decomposed. This gives the nuclei time to be distributed more evenly in the carbonyl vapor. A uniform distribution of the nuclei is critical if toohigh a concentration at certain spots and formation of flocks is to be prevented.

Each of the above proposals yields a powder of small particles. If the ratio of formation of nuclei to the supply of material is further increasexl, a cotton wool-likematerial (flocks) is formed consisting of loose aggregates ofvknotty strands. The strands usually have a diameter below one micron.

Nickel or iron powder having a structure resembling that'of cotton wool can be produced by the decomposition of carbonyl vapor in the free space of a heated vessel. To reduce the shrinkage on sintering of the powder, it has been proposed. to dilute the carbonyl vapor in the free space of the decomposer with carbon monoxide and a very small amount of oxygen so as to promote the formation of solid nuclei for the powder.

Flocks formed by the foregoing proposals yield, on sin-- tering at elevated temperatures in a hydrogen atmosphere, porous bodies with a porosity of about 75-86%. By porosity as employed herein is meant:v the relation of voids to the total volume of the sintered body. The use of a diluent (carbon monoxide) results in a lower yield of material in a given time and, therefore, is not desirable.

I have discovered that a material which on sintering yields bodies of very high porosity can be obtained by adding a; volatile halide, such as arsenic trichloride or phosphorous. trichloride etc., to iron or nickel carbonyl vapors before or during decomposition in" the free space of a heated deoornposer withoutthe use of carbon monoxide as a diluent. After sintering in hydrogen at 600- 800 C. the porosity of the sinter cake ranges from 90 to 93%.

In practicing the present invention, a liquid halide, such as arsenic trichloride, phosphorous trichloride" or tribromide, boron trichloride or tribromide, carbon tetrachloride, silicon tetrachloride, titanium tetrachloride, titanium tetrabromide, etc., is dropped in small amounts, i.e. from 0.5 to 10 ml. per 30 lbs. of carbonyl vapor, from the upper end of a decomposing chamber prior to or during decomposition of nickel'or iron carbonyl in a customary decomposing vessel at a temperature of 250-300 C. A vessel of this type, including operating temperatures, is disclosed in United States Patent 1,759,-j 659 and in British Patents 741,943 and 741,978. The liquid halide in the free space of the decomposition zone either decomposes or. reacts with the metal carbonyl vapor or its decomposition products, resulting in flocks containing from 0.01% to 7.5% of arsenic, phosphorus, boron, silicon or titanium, etc., depending on the amount of liquid halide added.

The flocks are then sintered in hydrogen in the cus-. tomary manner at 600-800 C. for a period of time ranging from 5 to 8 hours. The porosity .of the sintered cake will vary between -93% depending upon the metal carbonyl and the volatilehalide employed. When iron carbonyl is replaced by nickel carbonyl in the same reaction, the sintered bodies have a porosity of 93%. When arsenic trichloride is replaced by phosphorustrichloride, the porosity of the sintered iron carbonyl is 92% and in nickel carbonyl 91%. The porous bodies thus obtained are especially adaptable as electrodes in batteries. In view of their high porosity it becomes clearly manifest that electrodes from 93% porosity plates contain only 50% of the metal in an electrode from 86% porosity plates.

The following examples will illustrate the production of sintered bodies of 90-93% porosity.

Example I 150 m1. of iron pentacarbonyl were heated to the boil-= ing point (104 C.) in a steel flask of 200 ml. size. The vapors formed are passed through a steel pipe V2 wide (vapor line), which was heated to about C., at a rate of about 80 ml. per minute. From the vapor line,

the vapors were passed into the top of a 3" wide and 1 foot long vertically arranged steel pipe (decomposer),

which was heated to 290 C., as measured by a thermocouple 1 /2" below the top and /2" apart from the wall of the pipe. Through a small hole in the vapor line just above the point where the vapor line is connected. to the decomposer, the tip of a'burette was introduced into;

the vaporline in such a ,waythatdrops of a liquid dispensed from the burette fall directly into the heated zone of the decomposer. Liquid arsenic trichloride was filled into the burette and one drop was addedevery 30 minutes. The solid material formed" was caughtin a wide; mouthed glass jar attached to the lower end ofthe decomposer.

800 C. for 6 hours. The density of the resulting sintered body was 0'. 47 g./cm.3, the porosity -was. 9 3%, By way of contrast, cc. of; iron pentacarbonyl decomposed in the same apparatus under the sa'meconditions as above but without addition of arsenic trichlo ride. The carbonyl vapor was diluted with about 20% by volumeof carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide was added to the carbonyl vapor in the vapor line.

The resulting material was screened and sintered as described. The density of the sintered body was 2.03 g.'/cm. the porosity was 74%. r

Ekample II A sample of nickel tetracarbonyl (150 ml.) was heated to its boiling point (43 C.) in a small steel flask of 200 capacity. Thevapors were passed throughv a vapor line,,which was kept at about 60- C., from above into a vertical one foot long and 3 wide pipe (decomposer), heated'to 250 C; This temperature was measured by a thermocouple 1 /2" below the top and /2"- apart from the wall of the pipe. Through a small hole in the vapor line arsenic. trichloride was dropped into the decomposer at a rate of about 1 ml. per 30 litersof carbonyl vapor, or approximately 1. drop every 30 minutes. The solid material formed was caught in a wide mouthed glass jar attached to the lower end of the decomposer.

' The material contains about 0.1% arsenic. Under the microscope it appears as a loose network of knotty branches of one micron diameter and below. The material was passed through an 80 mesh. screen. The ap parent density, as determined bya Scott fiowmeter ac, cording to MPA (Metal Powder Association) standard 4-45 T, was 0.49. The material was filled level into an Alundum boat 4 /2" longand heated in a slow stream (100 ml./min.) of hydrogen (in the 2" wide bar-rel of a conventional electric resistance furnace) at 600 C. for 6 hours. The density of the resulting sintered body was. 0.60 .g./cm. the porosity was 93%.

Example III Example I V' Example I was repeated with theexception that arsenic trichloride was replaced by an equivalent amount of. boron trichloride with similar results.

Example V Example I was repeated with the exception that arsenic trichloride was replaced by an equivalent amount of titanium tetrachloride with similar results.

Example VI Example I was're-peated with the exception that arsenic trichloride was replaced by an equivalent amount of silicon tetrachloride with similar results.

The sintered bodies prepared in accordance with thepresent invention are especially adaptable in the menu-- facture of plates for storagebatteri'es. The iron arsenic flocks may be used in recorder. tapes. A porous body with a porosity of 0.86 contains 14 volume percent of material, while a' porous body with a porosity of 93' contains 7 volume perecent of material, i.e. only half the' The higher the porositythe more accessible is the inner surface of the porous body, making it better'su-ite'd for catalysts and catalyst supports. The sintered body prepared from iron flocks can readily be covered by a nobler metal, such as nickel or copper, by immersing the porous body into an aqueous nickel, copper, etc. solution. A coating of the porous iron body with a catalyst metal by this or other methods,.results in a catalyst which has the advantages of high porosity, especially in cases where only very littleof the catalyst metal isjneeded;

The unusual feature of the present invention is that the porosity of the sintered bodies obtained from alloyed flocks is far more greater than; that obtainable from non-alloyed metal flocks.

Another unusual feature is that the intrinsic coercive force prepared from=the flocks of this invention is. sub stantially equivalent to the value obtained from carbonyl iron oxide. For example, the intrinsic coercive force of a cylindrical plug pressed" from iron-arsenic flocks (0.1% arsenic) with a phenolform-aldehyde resin binder was -190 oersteds, as determined. by a ballistic galvanometer. The corresponding. value obtained, under the same conditions, with carbonyl iron oxide was oersted. Flocks which do not contain arsenic phosphorus, etc, yield an intrinsic coercive force of 90-110 oersteds. In view of these characteristics the alloyed iron flocks are particularly adaptable as. magnetic materials for recorder tapes. By intrinsic coercive force is meant the coercive force of a material, the particles of which are not aligned in a magnetic field.

While the present invention has been specifically described with respect to iron and nickel carbonyls, cobalt carbonyl and a mixture of cobalt with iron or nickel carbonyl can be treated in accordance with the present invention to yield electromagnetic bodies having new and valuable uses.

This application is a division of my patent application Serial No. 628,542, filed December 17, 1956, now United States Patent 2,978,323, issued April 4, 19-61.

I claim:

1. A sintered magnetizable body of at least one metal o-f the group consisting of iron, cobalt and nickel having a porosity of 90-93 and consisting ofa loose network- 4. A sintered magnetizable. body of iron having av porosity of 93% and consisting of a .loose .network'ofi knotty branches of one micron diameter and ,below and containing 0.1% of boron.

5. A sintered magnetizable body of iron having a porosity of 93% and consisting of a loose network of knotty branches of one micron diameter and below and containing 0.1% of silicon.

6. A' sintered magnetiz-able body of iron having a porosity of 93% and consisting of a loose network of knotty branches of one micron diameter and below and containing 0.1% of titanium. I

Hiler May" 3, 1960 

1. A SINTERED MAGNETIZABLE BODY OF AT LEAST ONE METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF IRON, COBALT AND NICKEL HAVING A POROSITY OF 90-93% AND CONSISTING OF A LOOSE NETWORK OF KNOTTY BRANCHES OF ONE MICRON DIAMETER AND BELOW AND CONTAINING FROM 0.01% TO 0.5% OF AN ELEMENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ARSENIC, BORON, PHOSPHORUS, SILICON AND TITANIUM. 